1. UNECE/EFTA/Eurostat workshop
STATISTICS
UNECE/EFTA/Eurostat workshop
Implementation and Consistency between the 2008 System of National Accounts and Balance of Payments
Rami Peltola, UNECE Secretariat

2. UNECE capacity building
Regional activities on the 2008 SNA
STATISTICS
UNECE Steering Group on National Accounts to:
Coordinate work in the area of national accounts and globalization
Promote internationally agreed standards and best practices SNA
Advise the UNECE Secretariat on capacity building activities
National plans for the 2008 SNA implementation →
Regional recommendations for the 2008 SNA implementation:
Enhance the inter-institutional cooperation in macroeconomic statistics
UNECE advisory missions and training workshops fall under:
The World Bank ECASTAT programme
UN Development Account programme on Statistics and Data
UNECE/EFTA/Eurostat workshops to enhance cooperation between national statistical offices, central banks and ministries of finance:
Implementation and links between the 2008 SNA and Government Finance Statistics (GFS), Istanbul, November 2013
Implementation of the 2008 SNA and linkages with BoP and GFS, Istanbul, 6-8 May 2015
Implementation and consistency between the 2008 SNA and BoP, Minsk, 3-5 October 2017

3. Goals of the workshop Consistency between the 2008 SNA and BoP
STATISTICS
Workshop on Implementation and Consistency between the SNA and Balance of Payments, Minsk, 3-5 October 2017
Objectives:
Discuss the main challenges and good practices in ensuring consistency
Review specific methodological and practical issues
Substantive sessions:
Importance of consistency between national accounts and balance of payments
National practices in ensuring coordination, data quality and consistency
Selected methodological and practical issues
Participants:
50 participants from 21 countries and 6 international organizations
Representatives of national statistical offices and central banks

4. Main conclusions of the workshop
National situation and actions
STATISTICS
Consistency of main economic aggregates is important
Problems persist due to differences in data sources, compilation schedules, techniques and interpretation of standards
Current situation in the sub-region of Eastern Europe
Good progress in implementing the 2008 SNA while limited resources
Central banks produce BoP and statistical offices non-financial accounts
Financial accounts are being developed, now mostly experimental
The full set of sector accounts typically produced annually
Sometimes the 1993 SNA still used, while BPM6 already applied
Inter-institutional agreements and working groups established
Historical inconsistencies are difficult to resolve
Enhanced inter-institutional cooperation is necessary and should
Focus more on analyzing methodologies and discrepancies
Coordinate the process of compiling economic statistics
Develop common tools for user communication and education
Agree on goals, terminology and action plan for improvements

5. Way forward after the workshop
Possible international actions
STATISTICS
A focused forum to share experience and good practices
Involve key producers of macroeconomic statistics
Cover institutional arrangements, data collection and exchange, concrete methodological and practical solutions
Extend existing group of experts on national accounts to central banks when relevant
International methodological development
BPM6 and 2008 SNA are consistent, but the terminology and language could be harmonized further
More practical guidance needed to avoid different interpretations in the practical implementation of the 2008 SNA and BPM6
Development of tools and frameworks to enable data exchange across countries for quality improvements
Training on how to address the links between business statistics and national accounts
Training on redesigning questionnaires and methodologies to measure transactions related to multinationals and global production

6. Issues for discussion Seeking advice from AEG
STATISTICS
UNECE would like to invite AEG to discuss the following questions:
Does the AEG consider that a more coordinated approach in implementation of BPM6 and 2008 SNA should be encouraged in countries? If yes, what could be the role of the international statistical community e.g. provide regional forums engaging national accounts and balance of payments compilers?
How the different interpretations by the producers of national accounts and balance of payments statistics could be eliminated? AEG is invited to discuss the need of further harmonization of the terminology and practical guidance of the two standards.

7. STATISTICS
Thank you!
Rami Peltola
UNECE